PM highlights importance of multilateral diplomacy, pledging more effective contributions to UN
VGP – From early days, our Party and State considered multilateral diplomacy as one of the key pillars of Viet Nam’s foreign policy, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc told reporters ahead of his tour to New York, the US to attend the high-level General Debate of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.
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PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (left) and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York, the US on May 30, 2017 Photo: VGP |
Ambassador highlights VN’s contributions to UN
As Viet Nam gained independence, President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter to the United Nations asking the international institution to recognize Viet Nam’s independence and expressing the country’s aspiration to become a member of the United Nations.
During the struggle for national unification amid a divided world due to cold war, Viet Nam well combined multilateral and bilateral diplomacy to create a united diplomatic front to mobilize support from peace-loving friends around the world, particular at the Geneva Conference in 1954 and Paris Conference in 1973.
Since the country was unified in 1975, Viet Nam gradually has overcome isolated situation and gradually joined international institutions. During the ongoing course of international integration, Viet Nam has signed a number of both bilateral and multilateral economic agreements and demonstrated its efforts to be a responsible member of international organizations, a trusted partner, and open and highly potential market.
Since joining the United Nations in 1977, Viet Nam has been a responsible member with active contributions to all cooperation areas of the United Nations and one of the pioneering countries in accelerating peace, progress, cooperation and development across the world.
Viet Nam has also been one of the pioneers in making concrete contributions to the formation and enforcement of international treaties by the United Nations and to the development of the global multilateral institution that meets the common aspiration of the human being.
The country’s contributions have been widely recognized and appreciated by the international community, especially at the United Nations General Assembly, Security Council, Human Rights Council, Economic and Social Council among other organs of the United Nations.
As a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in the tenure 2008-2009, Viet Nam contributed to the common efforts to address conflicts in some regions, enhance peace-keeping operations, and put forward specific initiatives to strengthen women’s role in peace and security area. On such basis, Viet Nam is now widely supported to run for a seat of the Security Council once again in the tenure 2020-2021.
The Southeast Asian country has also actively contributed to the development and deployment of the United Nations-led sustainable development goals by 2030 has been a pioneer in deploying the “One United Nations” initiative.
Over the past three years, Viet Nam has played a vital role in drafting annual resolutions of the United Nations Human Rights Council on climate change and human rights. By the end of 2016, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao was elected as Second Vice Chairman of the International Law Commission.
Viet Nam has also actively joined key regional and international multilateral organizations and forums such as the Francophone community, International Parliamentary Union, ASEAN, APEC, WTO, ASEM among others.
In the current context, the role of multilateral mechanisms, particularly the United Nations, is becoming increasingly important. Viet Nam has been consistently upheld the fundamental principles of international law and the United Nations Charter in settling conflicts and disputes through peaceful measures on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs of states, and avoiding the use or threat of force.
According to PM Phuc, strengthening multilateral diplomacy not only aims to heighten the position and prestige of Viet Nam on the global arena but also reflects the country’s trust in a world of multidimensional dialogue in which international law is respected.
Messages to the United Nations
Through his attendance at the the high-level General Debate of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, PM Phuc said he expects to send a strong message that Viet Nam commits to doing its utmost to make more effective contributions towards addressing common issues of the international community for a world of peace, cooperation and development and for a political and economic order that is fair, democratic and rule-based.
Viet Nam, once a nation ravaged by wars, has been an example of overcoming poverty to become a middle-income country in 2010 and one of the fastest growing economies over the past years.
PM Phuc affirmed that Viet Nam will take the lead in adapting to climate change, fruitfully realizing the sustainable development goals and other United Nations-led agendas.
He said Viet Nam is confident to well fulfill the role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in the tenure 2020-2021 in order to make greater contributions to peace, development and prosperity on the globe.
PM Phuc also expects to reaffirm Viet Nam’s readiness to join hands to build a better world through the country’s participation in the United Nations peace-keeping operation./.
By Quang Minh
